Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!decwrl!apple!netcom!ergo
From: ergo@netcom.UUCP (Isaac Rabinovitch)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: 16-bit VGA in an 8-bit slot
Message-ID: <12306@netcom.UUCP>
Date: 21 Aug 90 15:41:19 GMT
References: <8960@uhccux.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu>
Reply-To: ergo@netcom.uucp
Distribution: usa
Organization: UESPA
Lines: 27

In <8960@uhccux.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu> kyung@uhccux.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu (Kyung Lee) writes:

>Anyway, is it possible to hookup this VGA card using the same monitor
>on a 8 bit XT machine?  Is there any software device driver that is 
>needed if this is possible?  And if it is possible, what would be the 
>maximum res?  I know there are 16 bit VGA card that can be used on
>8 bit systems.  I just don't know if this is one of 'em.

Here's some secondhand info.  In a recent issue of *Midnight
Engineer*, a guy wrote about his experience porting his Macintosh
software to MS-DOS, and teaching himself the IBM-compatible culture in
the process.  His first DOS machine had two monitors:  VGA for the
application, and MDA for Turbo Debugger.  Problem:
no underlining, high-intensity, or reverse-video on the monochrome
monitor, rendering TD useless.  Cause:  the high-order byte on the VGA
was grabbing every second byte of those meant for the MDA, so all the
monochrome attribute bytes were read as 0x00.  Solution:  move the VGA
card to an 8-bit slot.  No mention of any special driver needed,
though the VGA card may have been one of those "smart" models that
configures itself automatically.
-- 

ergo@netcom.uucp			Isaac Rabinovitch
atina!pyramid!apple!netcom!ergo		Silicon Valley, CA
uunet!mimsy!ames!claris!netcom!ergo

Disclaimer:  I am what I am, and that's all what I am!